Trying Hard

Month 17 Day 16

16:42 Hours

Bugalu

Bugalu chose a table and sat down. Most of the supper crowd had finished, but he and Mac had paused for a conversation before coming to the mess hall. “I imagine that didn’t sit well with Smythe,” Bugsy commented once Mac had also sat down with her meal.

“MacG thinks it’s terribly important,” Mac stated. “After today’s exam, he called Smit to sick bay to discuss it with both of us. I’m not sure how I’m going to fit more time in Gaelund gravity into my day. I sleep 8 hours, workout at least half an hour a day between Weight Station C and Treadmill C. Like I told Smit as we went back to engineering, I suppose I could just sit in Weight Station C for an hour or 2, but that seems like a waste of time.”

“Well, it’s for your health, Mac…”

“I know. But there’s so much to do! We still haven’t decided where Smit’s going to transfer! And we’re packing up Joe to take with us, leaving George for Abdulla and Wilson to work with.”

How come I don't remember her mentioning those guys before? “Who are Joe and George?”

“Oh, those are the names we gave our Yukoskian Transportation Devices. We built 2 to have one send while the other receives. That’s how the Yukosk began, and only later figured out how to make them work at a distance.”

So they aren't people at all. “How are you all going to continue to work on it?”

“Lots of technical communications, I imagine. Plus we’ll each build ourselves a second machine. Well, once Smit gets transferred and we get settled into our new home.”

“Are you looking forward to that?” Bugalu asked. “Settling into a new life with Smythe?”

She hesitated long enough to take a bite of her sandwich and get it down her throat. “To be absolutely truthful, I have so many mixed feelings, I don’t know how I feel. I am thrilled with the thought of spending the rest of my life with him. But what if it’s not idyllic? Maybe I'll get fat, or he'll get tired of me. Before I came here, I never imagined I would ever get married. And certainly, I never expected to become a mother. Despite Pa, I knew it took both a man and a woman to make babies, and that seemed pretty impossible. Plus, the Fleet gave me shots to keep me from getting pregnant, so I just didn’t think about it.”

“Yeah, most of us don’t,” Bugsy stated. Will people be more careful, at least for a time, now that pregnancy has actually happened aboard? “But if you think about it, your upbringing is what made motherhood possible, by negating the effects of that shot.”

“Yes, she agreed, and shuddered. “In a strange way, I’m rather grateful for pa's rules, now, because I would not give myself to a man. Until Smit.” She raised her iced tea to drink, lowered it again as she saw someone. “Oh. Here he comes.”

Bugalu turned his head and saw Smythe hurrying across the mess hall, headed right for them.

“Good, I found you,” he said with a smile, and placed a hand on Mac’s shoulder.

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“No, nothing,” Smythe answered easily, and held out a small gravity unit, about half the size of an MR27 unit. “I just finished this gravity unit just before shift change, and I’ve been looking for you.”

“I didn’t think we had any that small,” Mac stated, and took the unit to look it over.

“We don’t keep them in stock,” Smythe answered. “I had fabrication make it. It’s set to produce a 2 foot column of Gaelund gravity, 6 feet tall. I’ve already tested the field, and it holds steady. The idea is to put it under your chair while you're sitting. It’s not voice controlled, you’ll have to flip the switch on and off. Completely portable, just don’t forget it when you get up and move away. Hook it up to the power grid to recharge when you go to bed at night.”

Mac stared at the small machine as tears started down her cheeks.

Smythe saw them, too. “Darling, what’s wrong?” he asked.

She dried her tears with her napkin and glanced up at him, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t want you to get into trouble over having equipment specially made and giving it to me like a present, all because I’m pregnant, when I wasn’t supposed to get that way!”

Smythe moved over to sit opposite Bugsy and took hold of Mac’s unoccupied hand. “I paid to have that unit made, so I own it, and I choose to give it to you. As for your condition, pregnancy within the Fleet isn’t completely unheard of; it does happen. And the Fleet will pay the medical bills. But, of course, you’ll be married to me, so you’ll both be covered as my dependents.” Another tear started down her face, and he gently wiped it away. “Colleen, everything’s going to be fine.”

“So you keep telling me,” she answered, and gave him a trembling smile. “And I believe you. I do. I think the tears must be caused by fluctuating hormones. MacG warned me about bouts of crying.” She dried her face again and managed a real smile. “There, I think I’m done.”

“Good. This gravity unit should give you a good dose of Gaelund gravity. I’ll put it under your chair, get you started with it.” He took the unit and bent over in his chair for a moment before sitting up again. “How does that feel?”

She gave a slow nod. “I never realized how much harder chairs feel under Gaelund gravity. Thank you, Smit, this should definitely get those stubborn muscles in shape faster than I’ve been able to so far.”

“Tomorrow, I'll work on units for your boots, for when you’re walking or standing,” he told her with a grin. “We’ll work together, since you’ll have to test them.”

Her smile was dazzling. “I look forward to that!”

“Good.” He picked up her closest hand and kissed it. “Then I’ll let you 2 get back to your evening.” He stood up.

“Feel free to get some food and join us,” Bugalu stated, then feared the older man would join them for the entire evening.

“I ate with the captain,” Smythe stated. “And I promised not to monopolize Colleen’s time. As the captain pointed out, I have years and years ahead with her. So, I leave you 2 to your fun. Just do me one favor, Lt Bugalu. Don’t let her forget her under-the-chair gravity unit!”

“I’ll do my best,” Bugsy promised.

Smythe turned away, and then turned back. “Don’t forget, Colleen, 21:30 hours!”

Mac grinned as her cheeks turned pink. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Smythe smiled at her. “I’ll see you then.”

After the Chief Engineer walked away, Bugalu turned back to his sister. “What's at 21:30? Exactly when will you sleep tonight, Mac?”

She took a drink of her tea. “At 22:30. We set an alarm every night to remind me it’s time to go home and go to sleep.”

“A reminder alarm? Every night?”

“Every night I have a date with him at 21:30 hours.” She picked up her sandwich. “Which is every night.”

“What kind of a date is only an hour long?”

Having taken a bite, she hurriedly chewed and swallowed. “Usually, it’s sex. But occasionally, we never get around to that.”

“Well. Look at you.”

She looked up in confusion. “What?”

“My little sister has definitely grown up.”

“It’s about time,” she muttered, and returned to her supper.